The alpha roll is a type of restraint designed to communicate dominance over your dog. The human will gently flip the dog over on its back and forces it to stay in that position until it stops wiggling. It's best to do this with young puppies so you can cradle them in your arm like a baby. The bigger they get, the harder it is to physically hold them in one position, so practice when they're weak! Alpha roll establishes you as the "alpha", or leader. You communicate control and strength.

Various ways your dog is trying to get you to do something (look at them, open a door, give them food, etc.). Some of the methods the dog uses to get your attention will be inappropriate. Try to ignore these and reward the ones that are more on the side of polite.

Bye-bye bones are very special in that they are highly desirable (usually edible), long-lasting pacifiers that your dog gets only when you leave the house. They are typically used for dogs who get nervous or anxious when their owners leave. The idea is to have the dog associate the person's leaving with something "outta this world" great so that the anxiety is overrun by the goodness of the bone. The "bye-bye bone" doesn't have to be an actual bone, but it can be if that's what gets your dog drooling. Here are some good examples of BBB's:

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When I say this I usually mean "spray commander", which is a remote controlled corrective collar that emits a citronella spray when you press the button. A fairly effective method of correction. See "citronella collar work" category.

A directive instruction that the dog has to obey. Commands should be obeyed immediately and consistently. If Your dog chooses not to obey your command, you must enforce it. Commands should be non-negotiable.

When a dog seems like they can't control themselves from doing a specific behavior. These behaviors are harder to correct because a person will have to be super-consistent in enforcing rules.

Something that happens to deter your dog from doing something inappropriate. For a correction to be successful, it has to be aversive enough for the dog to want to avoid that correction in the future. DIFFERENT DOGS RESPOND TO DIFFERENT CORRECTIONS- ONE CORRECTION CAN BE EFFECTIVE FOR A DOG, AND AT THE SAME TIME BE COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE FOR ANOTHER. Don't expect to instantly know how to correct every dog in the world! Types of corrections include verbal, noise, physical, leash, citronella, and SO many other things- it's infinite!

A device used as confinement to prevent housebreaking accidents and destruction of the house while the dog is unsupervised.

If your dog thinks it is stronger and smarter than another human or dog, it's dominant over that dog or human. It will prove that status by correcting other living things when they "cross a line" established by the dog, i.e. if you touch his food, toys, touch him the wrong way, etc. Usually the correction is a quick snap, growl, flash of the teeth, etc. If this is not stopped early between a dog and a human, the snap could get worse, and end up being a bite. or several.

This happens when a proven method of doing something that brings a desired response (i.e. stealing underwear always elicits a chase from a human), all of a sudden stops working. The extinction burst is the part where the dog tries the proven method again and again, and hundred times stronger before they figure out that it just doesn't work anymore. Human equivalent: you're at the elevator. You pressed the button 10 seconds ago. This has always made the elevator come and pick you up. For some reason, there's no sign that the elevator's coming. You press it again. And again, and again and again, harder and harder, with more force (extinction burst!), until finally you just give up and use the stairs. If the original method doesn't work anymore, why use it?!

Everybody knows this game- to teach your dog to fetch, use 2 or more desirable & identical toys or tennis balls. Throw one of them while saying, "get it" or "fetch". When they grab it, say "take it". Show the dog the other toy that you have. Bounce it if it's a ball, squeak it if it can be squeaked. When your dog starts coming to you, say, "come!". Your dog will always want the toy you have, so he'll have to drop the one he has in his mouth. As soon as he drops it, say "drop it" and throw the other one so he can chase it. He doesn't have to drop it anywhere near you at first, he just needs to drop it somewhere. When he realizes how the game works, you will have a ball machine going, and your dog will be the retriever! This is an excellent way to burn energy, plus there's no contact between dog and human. Nobody gets beat up if you play the right way!

A taste deterrent in liquid or gel form. It is sprayed on fabrics, wood, plastic, etc. to stop your dog from chewing things he shouldn't be chewing. Must be applied regularly for this to work because the taste may get weaker with time. Reapply every other day in most cases. Some dogs don't mind the taste so this product can't be used in every situation.

When a dog is guarding something, it is trying to prevent a human or another animal from approaching it. The dog believes that it is going to be taken from him and he defends the object, possibly using aggressive signals. Usually the first sign that a dog is guarding is that they stiffen their body over the object and stare in one spot. If they choose to become aggeressive, they will either growl, bare teeth, snap or bite.

A hand motion signifying a command. It can be used with or without a verbal command.

The order of leaders and followers. In a hierarchy, there's one "person" at the top of the totem pole, and there's a definite class distinction between other members, going all the way down to the last, puny person. Dogs know hierarchy for some reason and they will know who's at the top (dominant), who's at the bottom (submissive) and everything in between, so show yourself the leader, and all will be fine. If you don't take the leader role, the dog will.

Housebreaking refers to the act of teaching the dog to hold in pee and poop and wait to eliminate until he gets outside of the house. A dog is considered housebroken when he hasn't had one accident in the house in 3 solid months.

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A hard rubber toy, used as a pacifier. You can fill the kong with anything edible, but it's a good idea to put something real desirable in first so the dog can smell it but not be able to get to it, then plug up the hole with a biscuit.= instant interactive pacifier!

These collars, also known as "limited choke" collars, were originally designed for greyhounds because their heads are so narrow that they can easily escape from the leash by backing out of their collars. With a martigale, when there's any tension on the leash, the collar tightens up so the head can't come out.

aroundthehounds.com

These collars are also great for other breeds because they allow the person to give a correction that is milder and less ballistic than the regular choke chain.

A phrase coined by my ex-husband, James, to describe when a dog uses its back legs to kick you. Very powerful wrestling move.

Your dog guards inedible objects, sometimes stolen, by tensing up, stiffening, growling, baring teeth, snapping, lunging, biting, etc.

Something used to keep your dog "out of your hair" for awhile. Usually it has something to do with food, so that it keeps the dog's interest. (i.e. pressed rawhide, kong, marrow bone, buster cube, etc.)

When a dog uses its mouth during play, he is playbiting. This means that the dog is not necessarily trying to hurt the person he is playing with (although it does hurt at times), he is just getting excited and expresses himself by using his mouth. Although natural, playbiting is inappropriate and should be corrected.

To make sure all of your things in your dog's area are put away, where he cannot get into them and get hurt, or destroy them. Like "child proofing".

Holding a dog in one position and forcing him to stay there, even if he doesn't want to. The "alpha roll" is an example of restraint. This helps a person to convince a dog that they have control over it. It builds a relationship where the dog sees the human as an authority figure, or "alpha".

Just like it sounds, your dog tries to pick everyhting up using its mouth. Also known as a "vacuum". Usually dogs are scavengers along a walk in the street, where all the burger wrappers and cigarette butts are. Yummy!

Your dog panicks when it knows you're leaving the house. It shows anxious behaviors like howling, barking, destroying, accidents, etcetera.

An empty soda can or plastic bottle, filled with about 10 coins. It's a form of noise correction- when the can is shaken, it makes a loud noise that startles some dogs (not all of them, though). It is best to use the can discreetly so the dog doesn't connect the sound with you. The noise just happens when the dog does something naughty. Some dogs really dig the sound, so don't feel hopeless if your dog is one of them. There are other corrections out there..

A household bottle with a spray/mist capability, used as a correction in some cases. Some dogs hate being sprayed, some love it!

Here's another form of restraint, the suspension. This technique can only be used with young puppies or small dogs. You take them gently around their armpits and suspend them in the air in front of you until they stop wiggling. This for some reason communicates to the dog that you are the one that is physically in control. It can be used to build trust or to correct a dog. You want to make sure you don't let the dog out of the restraint if it's struggling. The only way he's getting free is if he submits to his fate and stops trying to fight you over it. This also teaches the dog self control and to earn freedom by being calm and getting himself together. I should mention that when the dog is calm, you should SLOWLY let him down, preparing for him to go back up to struggle mode. If that does happen, you'd just resume the original position until he comes back down to reality. Sorry I don't have a visual representation for this but my skills as an interpreter will have to suffice.

A substance you put on prohibited objects to deter your dog from putting his mouth on them. (i.e. bitter apple spray, lemon juice, listerine, tabasco, chinese hot mustard, wasabi, or whatever else works!-make sure it's safe & edible, please.)

A lightwieght chain circle used as a correction when thrown in the direction of the dog or at the dog's rear end. Please do not hurt your dog in the process. The noise alone is aversive enough in most situations.

Verbal warnings signify that a correction is coming if the dog doesn't stop doing something. A person who gives a verbal warning should be prepared to follow through with a correction if the dog doesn't take the warning.

A word or a phrase, signifying that a correction is to follow shortly. For example, you could say, "stop it" (verbal warning), and if the dog does not cease, you would correct him by tugging on his leash or use some other effective correction. The most important part is your following through if the dog blows your warning off. The only way the verbal warning will work is if the dog knows beyond a doubt that you always follow through after using that warning. Eventually you will get to a point where the dog is responding to the warning before the correction comes. At that level, you will have your dog obeying verbal warnings. Everybody loves that.

Like a flat diaper that you use instead of newspaper to housebreak your dog. The dog uses the wee wee pad as a bathroom spot instead of going outside and using grass or concrete. These are usually used for young puppies who don't have all their shots yet and who aren't allowed to go outside to use the bathroom. A good idea for apartment dwellers who are too lazy in the winter to take the dog aaaaaaaall the waaaaaaay doooooown every time their dog needs to make. Here's a link to the cheapest pads I've found. They give free shipping to anyone east of the Mississippi!

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